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NOOK Book(eBook)

Overview

For fans of Andrew Smith and Frank Portman and the movies Election and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off comes a hilarious and satirical novel about the highs and (very low) lows of the electoral process, proving that the popular vote is the one that matters most.

Stacey Wynn was the clear front-runner for Lincoln High student council president. But then French-Canadian transfer student Julia Romero entered the race…and put the moves on Stacey’s best friend/campaign adviser, Brian.

Stacey also didn’t count on Tony Guo, resident stoner, whose sole focus is on removing the school’s ban of his favorite chocolate milk, becoming the voice of the little guy, thanks to a freshman political “mastermind” with a blue Mohawk.

Three candidates, three platforms, and a whirlwind of social media, gaffes, high school drama, and protests make for a ridiculously hilarious political circus that just may hold some poignant truth somewhere in the mix.

Product Details

About the Author

Gordon Jack always wanted to be a writer. In third grade, he put that on his “What I Want to Be When I Grow Up” list, just behind astronaut and professional dog walker. While working toward this goal, he had jobs as an advertising copywriter, English teacher, librarian, and semiprofessional dog walker. The Boomerang Effect is his first novel. He lives in San Francisco with his family. Visit him online at www.gordon-jack.com or on Twitter @gordojack.

Editorial Reviews

★ 11/19/2018A group of idiosyncratic teenagers navigates the precarious waters of identity and cultural appropriation while campaigning for student government in this delightfully comedic and timely high school drama by Jack (The Boomerang Effect). In California, extracurricular superstar and avid environmentalist Stacey faces unexpected competition in her run for student body president from a mysterious new girl, Julia, who appears to be a Latina—and garners the Latino vote—but hides the fact that she doesn’t actually know her heritage. Further complications ensue when Stacey’s best friend and campaign manager, Brian, develops a reciprocated crush on Julia, while his cunning conspiracy theorist younger brother, Mohawk, not only persuades the perpetually stoned, “not stereotypically Asian” Tony to join the race but also defaces Julia’s posters with the phrase “Build That Wall!”, successfully transferring public sentiment away from Stacey and toward Julia. The parents are all emotionally and sometimes physically unavailable, leaving the protagonists to wrestle with questions about their own identities, how to represent themselves to the world, and whom they can trust. This briskly paced, at times riotously funny satire offers a subtle, discerning critique of both the contemporary U.S. political scene and the milieu of identity politics through top-notch storytelling. Ages 14–up. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

The novel delivers some delectably insufferable politicians, pundits, media personalities, and fixers, all while making these teens relatably familiar. As politically smart as it is breathtakingly cynical, and it’s therefore perfect for readers who appreciate both qualities.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

★ 2018-08-20

A stoner, a type-A achiever, and a new girl with a secret fight for the class presidency.

Stacey Wynn, who is white, is running unopposed for student body president of her California high school—and that's just the way things should be. Her best friend, Brian, who she suspects may be gay, is her campaign adviser, which is working great until his (secret) crush, new student Julia Romero, decides on a whim that she is running too. And for reasons no one can understand, Chinese-American underachiever Tony Guo is also now on the ballot. What should have been a sure thing—in Stacey's mind—is now a true election, and it soon devolves into a game of scheming and back-stabbing. Each candidate hides a troubled home life and strained family relationships, but Julia's struggle is especially central to the election's conflicts; the French-Canadian child of a white mother of Italian descent and a sperm donor, she appears Latinx but her mother has refused to reveal her donor's ethnic heritage. The story begins two weeks before the election, and the hijinks are chronicled by an unintentionally hilarious and earnest student blogger. Discerning readers will appreciate the timely and astute exploration of both the gravity and levity of identity politics and the critique of neoliberal ideals.

Sharply observed—but so sharp it may be missed by less woke readers—this is satire at its best. (Fiction. 14-18)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

So happy it's out! I love Gordon Jack's writing and have been looking forward to Your Own Worst Enemy. Boomerang Effect was excellent and I appreciated it as an educator and relative of teenage boys who aren't into dystopia or zombies. This book gives them a novel with heart, humor and the thrill of reading truly excellent writing that avoids limiting the male character to a romantic interest or a bully. I wish there were more books that speak to the 8th to 12th grade male like Jack's do. Thank you B and N for being on the Gordon Jack track. Boomerang Effect is still not as known as I think it should be, but Your Own Worst Enemy got a starred Kirkus Review and Publishers Weekly loved it, as did a host of others. Exciting to watch a relatively new author rise in real time.

ruthsic

3 months ago

In a parody of the 2016 American presidential election, Your Own Worst Enemy explores the devolution of human nature when it comes to politics. Stacey thinks she is running unopposed for student body president, until Julia, a newcomer, and Tony, the school’s stoner, both enter the race. As the candidates and their campaign managers figure out ways to one up each other, and defeat the other candidates, we see a slightly exaggerated portrayal of how identity politics can be misused and the original message lost in the mess. In a revolving multi-person POV of Julia, Stacey, Tony, Kyle and Brian, we see the countdown towards the student body elections from all angles.
Each of the people in it had their own reasons for getting involved, be it misguided altruism, an effort to seem mature, just the hankering for chocolate milk in cafeteria, or a sense of feeling power. I feel the most character development was done in the case of Julia’s arc so I’ll start with that first. Her arc is the most important issue in this story: her ethnicity and race paint a target on her back and is used to launch an opening volley into this battle. Julia herself doesn’t know what race she belongs to, thanks to a close-lipped mother but due to her surname, everybody assumes she is Latina and the Latinx majority in the school flock to support her. Her message is probably naive in the start, but by the end she realizes she has a chance to make actual change, and the ideas on how to make the school year more inclusive.
Stacey, on the other hand, is an experienced student politician with a good sense of social issues and has worked hard to get to this position, but her desire to do good things is often overshadowed by her cold political sense to the point that it sometimes seems she only is an ally for political benefit, and her personal troubles often leak into her good judgement. She also has a take-charge nature, which means she has been taking care of her father when her mother dumped them both, but that very nature is seen as distancing by her peers (remind you of someone?). Brian, who has been her best friend and campaign manager is stuck between his friendship and his feelings (and frequent boners) for Julia. Tony – well, he is only a Trump in that he doesn’t care about public service and doesn’t have what it takes for the job – is being manipulated by Kyle into blowing up what could have been a good election race and essentially bring down the whole level. Kyle, a nihilistic little brat who embodies chaotic evil at just 14 years of age, should have been watched more carefully because he seems the type to be being radicalized by some alt-right peeps.
The story also goes into what good politics could like, if people stopped to listen to diverse opinions, acknowledged privileges and knew when to be an ally instead of drowning out voices. It takes a realistic approach to the situation, and present the characters as all flawed in their own way, but still being able to do good if they acted together. It talks about how sensationalization, unfair methods, manipulation, all in the context of the small pool of a student body, but also embodies the general spirit of how politics is in this current age. It also mentions the current social issues, and how they have impacted the discussion and voter engagement. And the multiple POV worked so well for this story, specifically because it kept the story from dragging in any particular parts, and by switching characters keep

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